Protect Your Mission Trip Warriors!

Melissa D. of Atlee Community Church out of Mechanicsville, Virginia, wrote on the wall of her church’s Mission Trip to Ecuador Facebook page: I am just finding out that Tommy was hurt today while on his mission trip in Ecuador. He fell through a roof onto a concrete floor. The praise report is that he was not hurt any worse than he was. He has a cracked pelvis, a broken finger on his left hand and they also had to put pins in his left wrist. Now, all that sounds bad, but I know God protected him from it being much more serious! He will have to stay in the hospital for two days and then they will decide what needs to happen next.”

The chances that your church has taken a missions trip are high. The chances that they’ve had missions trip insurance when they did so are not so high. “We’ve been taking missions trips just fine since the church was founded and never had any issues,” you might say. “What’s the point in adding unnecessary expenses to the missions budget?”

In all seriousness, when you travel, especially internationally, there’s a good chance your health insurance or even your liability insurance doesn’t travel with you, and you’re therefore exposed to significant financial risk in the event something terrible happens. You could get really sick or you could be injured. You may have to be evacuated due to a medical event, a political event, terrorism, or a natural disaster (think earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, etc.)

Perhaps Tommy works a great steady job with awesome benefits here in the States, however, is that insurance effective overseas? Will Tommy’s doctor AND hospital bills be covered? Will he have to be moved back to the States with any added precautions, and if so, will those expenses be taken care of? Once he returns, will he be able to work at his job? If not, will his jobs benefits cover an injury he received off the job in another country in a volunteer situation? And never mind his personal insurance. What about the church insurance? Will their liability insurance take a hit?

These are all things that fall under the heading: stuff happens! No matter if your church is planning their 1st missions trip or their 100th, missions trip insurance is no longer an option; it’s a vital component, and you should customize your insurance for your specific needs – nothing more, nothing less.

Here are a few of the many options to consider:

Medical insurance for groups of five or more traveling abroad
Medical insurance for individuals involved in educational or cultural exchange

Travel protection program

First class travel protection
Medical insurance and travel protection for international travelers
First class travel medical insurance and travel protection for international travelers
Medical insurance for traveling executives
Medical insurance for organizations with five or more traveling executives
Long-term, worldwide medical insurance for individuals and groups of international students
Medical insurance for groups of two or more involved in educational or cultural exchange and study abroad programs

Quote taken from
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Atlee-Community-Church-Mission-trip-to-Ecuador/307652834933

This blog provided to you by Strong Tower Insurance, Inc. Strong Tower Insurance is pleased to partner with All Pro Pastors in support of pastors and their congregations by offering a variety of insurance solutions to protect the mission of the church!

Note: Earl and Carolyn Burkett owner’s of Strongtower Insurance specialize in Church and Ministry insurance. They are committed to serving Jesus in their business and we have asked them to provide articles and information that may help you. We can confidently say they care about those they serve!